The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-12-08
CATTLE ON sH1PBoARn.
The Jonrnsyings of Horned Americans
Across the Ocean.


star. He has made about fifty trips
across the ocean, taking from one To
: two hundred cattle at each trip.
1t would be imagined that a man
having such dangerous work would
have to be a Hercules in strength and
stature. Reilly is, if anything, below
the medium size: He has keen, res
tive, black eye, and is as rapid and
nervous in every motion as he is in
conversation.
I'VE are improving every day." he
began, i'll answer TO the reporters in
quiry as to how the expectation is car
ried on. ''but nothing" he continued,
Twill ever be absolutely perfect until
some one builds ship purposely for
cattle expectation"
when we first began to export, we
were new in the business, and we had
to pay heavy for our experience. At
that time we used to lower the animals
into the hold of the vessel in pens in
which they were packed so tight that
they couldn't move. 1t was impossible
for them to lie down. and if one man.
aged to. it could not get up again
but soon another would drop from
sheer exhaustion, and then the scenes
that would follow after the pressure
had been broken would defy descrip-
ton. Many in the pen would be eth
er trodden or kicked to death, others
have their limbs broken and have to be
killed.
Nowadays the system is more per.
feet in the hold of tine vessel. In such
large ships as those of the Monarch
line, the Ludgate Hill, and other big
| freight ships. whose holds are wide
| anH rlnrn0calr- g., -
fic, we build stalls running the whole
| length of the ship.
when an animal is lowered into
| the hold of a ship it is led along the
! passageway and back into one of the
| stalls, which are made of strong boards
and timber joints. In this it is firmly
bolted by a door The pen is wide
enough to allow the animal to lie down.
but no matter how heavy the sea it can
not be thrown down, as it is strongly
protected both front and rear"
''How do cattle act at sea?'
"Well, when first shipped, what with
the excitement of being lowered down
into the hold and then backed into the
stail-and that is no easy job, [ tell
you-the animal is certainly more or
less excited; but when, say, two hum
dred get excited-and I've taken more
than that at one trip-then it is scene
that is apt to try the nerves of man.
Cattle for expectation are selected from
the best stock, aud are therefore we'll
fed and high mettled. For that num-
Der of cattle l generally have about
thirty men with me. the ship-owners
allowing so many 10 go free as helpers
to the other side. have the animals
beds made, their hangers well filled
with most tempting food and plenty of
water served them. We generally
bring them aboard hungry, and they
begin munching, and hy the time we
get outside Sandy Hook they are like
tired. hungry person, exhausted by
travel. and feelin" satisfied and warm
They soon lie down and fall asleep
We never start With q load Of cattle in
storm, or in heavy sea, for if we
did the animals would get SO scared
that even the steadiest ship would feel
the effect of their tossing to and fro,
and it would be dangerous.
Everything is kept quiet during the
night. only the watchman being per-
mitted to stay in the hold where the
cattle are stalled. In the morning we
feed them again, for it is important to
keep them well-fed on the way out.
Then, the ship has struck deep water,
and if there is heavy sea the ship
rolls considerably.
''lts strange. but still true" said
Dir. Reilly. ''but the steer is, if alone,
the least easily frightened animal you
can imagine. have seen fat cattle |
wake up on their first morning out,
when the ship was rolling heavily. |
They couldn't get up, SO they braced
their feet against tine side of the stall
and lay there patiently, now and then
lowing. and eating the feed thrown
them as naturally as If they were on
land.
Cattle" continued MIR. Reilly, ''do
not get sea-sick, and as soon as they
can get on their legs it is a curious
sight. They are tossed back and for
ward, and with their stamping make a
terrible racket, and they seem TO look
at each other as if inquiring what all
that shaking up and down meant.
''Iti is then that the cattlemen's work
begins. There are always some vicious
brntes among them, and If they were
not quickly subdued there would be a
panic. The cattlenen quickly but
quietly go to the vicious ones, coax
them at first, but if that fails, throw
them down, and, so to speak, put them
in irons.
Cattle soon get their sea legs, and
as. except on stormy days, the matches
are kept open, they get accustomed to
their stalls and very few die on the
voyage. / think that on an ordinary
voyage we lose about 8 per cent. On
stormy voyage. when the matches
cannot be opened, of course we lose
more, and nobody would imagine how
horrible ships hold is with so many
head of cattle confined for perhaps
two, even three weeks, without having
any air.
'The English government laws in
regard to the importation of cattle
| from America are very strict. No
sooner does the ship reach Liverpool
than the cattle are unshipped and driv-
en- into the government yards. There
they are allowed to rest. They are
aired, fed, and watered, and then thor
oughly examined by the government
cattle inspectors. The next day they
must be sold, for the law makes it COM
pulsory that all American cattle must
be slaughtered on the third day of
landing That's how it is that quota
tions for American beef are so fire.
queatly marked dull The butchers
1
knowing that we must have them kill
ed right of.
Are the English more humane in
their mode of Killing than here?" asked
the Star reporter.
mo, sir!" answered Reilly, emphat-
ically; ''they still retain the brutal
method of killing with the poll-ax,
which is painful mode. even if the
animal stands steady; but if it moves,
| | have seen the butcher hit il three or
four times on the head before he could
bring it down. American cattle, con-
clnded Mr. Reilly, .'are certainly as
good. if not better. than English. Why
shouldn't they bs?'
First Omaha man I'm Street-car,
going home)-How fearfu1ly slow these
cars run; they drag along like snailS.